Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-03-16

"what," said he, sihave you not heard
the news! While you were al chatting
about the culprit you little expected, IN
warrant me! that the sovereignty of the law
had been violated, and this mornings e1ecu-
| ton well nigh postponed"
The Beadle-Dear me! how sos
The Registrar-Ahl ahi I was apprised
Of the fact in the exercise Of my functions.
An Old Woman-Do tell us all about it.
The Registrar-Paul Fouquet, while being
conveyed yesterday under good escort from
the prison of Mines, where he was tried, to
that Of Anduze, where he was to remain
until the hour Of his execution this morning,
| suddenly escaped at . point on the road Dor.
dering the Carbon, and getting rid Of hia
bonds, jumped into the river. Twas mighty
feat, I tell you, for he was at the time strong-
" fettered; but he is supposed to have found
an accomplice in one Of the soldiers Of the
escort.
The Beadle-Got clear of, then!
The R~egistrar-Aye. Whether he swan
to the opposite bank and gained the woods
! or whether he managed to hide among the
boats on this side the Carbon God alone
knows. At any rate, he is nowhere to be
found. It is believed he had accomplices in
the vicinity who abetted his escape. We
shall thoroughly sift that matter rubbing his
hands, in a day or two.
The Old Woman-Wen, have you found
him yet?
The Registrar-Oh! of course, we have.
He escaped yesterday, late in the afternoon,
and we nabbed him this morning at about !
o'clock. Our brigadier, who is a deep one,
reasoned after this fashion: I know Andre,
said he; now that he's got clear off, he's
sure to 60 and see his father up there in the
mountain. So the brigadier, like al artfu!
one that he is, disguised his soldiers and
sent them to keep q sharp lookout around
old Fouquet's house. This clever trick sue.
ceeded. At about 1 O'Clock in the morning
our runaway Paul was seen approaching
and was Immediately apprehended. He had
carried off two of the soldiers pistols,
which were recovered; and on being
searched a purse was found upon him,
which he had no doubt stolen.
The Beadle-Oh, as for stealing, I don't
believe Paul to be capable of such q thing.
The Registrar-Well, maybe. The Paris
headsman and his assistant arrived here
late last night or early this morning, and
brought the knife along with them from
Mines. No one has yet been able to see the
executioner, nor was he present at the pris-
oner's toilet. He's q big, fat man; oh, ]
know him well!
A movement Of the crowd drew of their
attention.
"There he is! there he isr' shouted the
lawyers clerk, who was tall and lanky,
multitude.
At once every eye strained in the direc-
ton of a small cart which slowly advanced
toward the scaffold.
"Hee! heel I can't see, I can't! I want
to see, I dc" blubbered the urchin.
The peddler stopped and lifted the boy on
his shoulder.
Soon the wretched man got down from
the cart. A black veil covered his head,
completely hiding his features. The Prot
estant pastor of Anduze was by his side
and helped him to mount the fatal steps.
A %corpulent man, dressed in deep black,
had preceded him.
On catching sight Of this man, the regis
trar exclaimed: ''There he isl that's the
Paris headsman!"
"That man there, who has cut of the
culprit's hand, is an assistant from Mines, ~
said the registrar.
When everything was in readiness the
headsman drew the veil off the young mans
head.
Their eyes met. Both started.
Just then the New Years bells rang out
a merry peal from some ~neighboring stee-
pie. The youthful sufferer-while pointing
though quite unconsciously with his hand
less and bleeding arm toward Christ's tenn
pie, whence came the silvcry chimes-turned
to the headsman and said, as a smile lit up
his pallid features:
cts like last night, isn't it? But I told
you, didn't l, that you could do nothing for
me?"
In less than two seconds the headsman
had done his duty.
But from that day forward the public
executioner was no longer the same man.
His mind wandered, and he had to be re-
lieved of his duties. He was heard in his
rawlings to mutter:
"He saved my life, and o God! / took
away his"
The insane headsman was the gentleman
in the cabriolet, and Paul Fouquet was his
rescuer. Henry La Luberne in Inter